Electrolysis is a method of removing individual hairs from the face or body. Today's medical electrolysis devices destroy the growth center of the hair with chemical or heat energy. After a very fine probe is inserted into the hair follicle, the hair is removed with tweezers.

How Many Electrolysis Treatments Will I Need?

The total number of sessions needed to remove hair permanently from a particular area will vary from person to person. Most clients return once a week or every other week as needed.

News

A selection of the best news around the world about Medical Equipment.

Understanding emotional intelligence and its effects on your life.

May 22, 2019, 2:50 pm By: Darryl Louis, medauction.com

You might think you're fairly intelligent, but are you emotionally intelligent?

You might think you're fairly intelligent, but are you emotionally intelligent?

It's our emotional intelligence that gives us the ability to read our instinctive feelings and those of others. It also allows us to understand and label emotions as well as express and regulate them, according to Yale University's Marc Brackett.
Most of us would probably like to think that we can do all of the above. We spot and understand emotions in ourselves and others and label them accurately in order to guide our thoughts and actions.
Experts say the ability to read, understand and respond to emotions in ourselves and other people is a crucial factor in predicting our health, happiness and personal and professional success.
So maybe we all need to take a breath and invest a little more time in schooling ourselves on what it means to be emotionally intelligent.
What is emotional intelligence?
Experts have continued to build on that framework to refine definitions of what exactly is at the core of of emotional intelligence. "Emotional intelligence is being smart about your feelings. It's how to use your emotions to inform your thinking and use your thinking to inform your emotions," she said.
It's having an awareness of how your emotions drive your decisions and behaviors so you can effectively engage with and influence others, said Sara Canaday, a leadership speaker and author. Individuals who are emotionally intelligent tend to be empathetic, can look at situations from an alternative point of view, are considered open-minded, bounce back from challenges and pursue their goals despite any obstacles they might face, according to Canaday.
"Some people think of emotional intelligence as a soft skill or the ability or the tendency to be nice. It's really about understanding what is going on for you in the moment so that you can make conscious choices about how you want to use your emotions and how you want to manage yourself and how you want to be seen in the world," Stern said.
"People with more emotional intelligence are healthier, happier and more effective," Brackett said.
Why emotional intelligence matters
Well ... just reflect on your own work experiences, Canaday suggests.
Has anyone you worked with ever been let go or asked to leave, even when they had the competency or technical skills for the job?
"It is how well you can collaborate, how well you engage with others and influence. It's the stories you can tell, the way you can bring data to life in a way that connects with others. Those are the things that are going to set you apart."
Can I improve my emotional intelligence?
From the earliest ages, children should be taught how to recognize their emotions, understand what those emotions mean and label them accurately in order to to express and manage themselves, Stern said.
For adults who did not receive a solid education on emotional intelligence, improving will require some hard work. Canaday suggests creating an action plan including specific goals. "Pick one or two areas where you want to grow, and get some advice on how to best start to embody whatever factor of emotional intelligence you are trying to develop."
If you are trying to gain better control of your anger, for example, you might find a healthy outlet for it -- whether it be yoga, meditation or boxing.
Canaday also suggests seeking out perspectives from those who may not agree with you. "Be intentional about that. Take active steps to do that. If you constantly surround yourself with people who believe just like you do, then you are hearing the same conversations, and you are not growing, and you are not learning to be open to perspectives."
Brackett advises seeking out strategies that are effective for managing emotions. Practice them and then evaluate how those strategies are working for you. It's important to "spend time reflecting on and thinking about your influence and how people respond to your emotions, be more self- and socially aware about your presence."
Stern suggests prolonging the time between when you are triggered by something and when you respond. Pause, slow down and take a deep breath. Imagine what your best self looks like. Taking the time to pause and think about what your best self would do in each situation may help you avoid letting your emotions control you. You are allowing yourself time to manage your emotions.
How we talk to ourselves can also have a huge impact on our emotions and our health if that self-talk is not positive, Stern says. She suggests that we would never talk to another individual the way we often talk to ourselves.
"There is no question in my mind that if people were to really appreciate how important emotions are, allowed themselves to have emotions, made space for other people to have their emotions and handled those emotions skillfully in the service of making a better world, we would in fact have a better world."

As cloudy skies start to turn sunnier, you might be checking your stash of sunscreen. But you may also want to see what's in your kitchen, as some foods can help keep your skin youthful and healthy.
"There are definitely foods that we eat that can boost our ability to protect our skin from the sun," said Dr. Patricia Farris, a dermatologist and fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology.
In terms of protecting yourself from sun damage, sun protection is the most important, like wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30, along with sunglasses and hats, "but I would put diet right behind that -- and that's because there are so many components that you can consume from foods that have all these different protective effects," said Dr. Rajani Katta, author of "Glow: The Dermatologist's Guide to a Whole Foods Younger Skin Diet."
Even if you're not sunbathing at the beach, you might have incidental sun exposure as you go about your day, "and so making sure that there are high levels of nutrients in your skin is really going to help limit that sun damage," Katta added.
Antioxidants: edible sunscreens
There are several ways in which foods can affect your skin, protecting you against wrinkles, sunburn and skin cancer. But most of the mechanisms relate to antioxidants, anti aging compounds in foods that fight skin damage in different ways.
For example, carotenoids are antioxidants that give pigment to orange and red fruits and vegetables and go by names such as lycopene, lutein and beta carotene. Carotenoids, along with polyphenols like EGCG in green tea, resveratrol in red grapes and ellagic acid in berries, offer natural sun protection.
Carotenoids and polyphenols accumulate in skin and absorb sunlight of various wavelengths, according to Farris. But the skin benefits of these natural compounds are primarily due to their antioxidant activity. Along with antioxidants like vitamin C and vitamin E, they protect against free radical damage to cells that's generated from the sun's UV rays, which can cause skin aging.
For example, free radicals cause damage to proteins including collagen and elastin, which can lead to fine lines, wrinkles, sagging, loss of elasticity and brown spots, according to Katta. Free radicals can also damage lipids in cell membranes, which could lead to sagging as well as rough, dry skin.
When antioxidants stop free radicals in their tracks, they also prevent DNA damage, thereby decreasing mutations and reducing the risk of skin cancer, Katta explained.
And then there are antioxidants' anti-inflammatory effects, which protect against sunburn. For example, carotenoids, polyphenols, vitamins C and E and omega-3 fatty acids deliver anti-inflammatory benefits to skin, which helps to decrease the development of sunburn and may decrease the risk for skin cancer, Farris said.
Supplements as sunscreen?
Though antioxidants from foods confer sun protection to skin, consuming them in supplement form poses risk. Oxidation is a finely balanced process, which means at high levels, antioxidants could morph into "pro-oxidants" and could create more damage, experts say.
Complicating the issue is that different supplements come with different safety profiles. For example, Heliocare is a fern extract with antioxidant activity and has been well-researched, according to Farris. "There are a lot of really good studies that show it reduces sunburn, oxidative stress and DNA damage." It may be beneficial for people at high risk for skin cancer or simply for a tennis player who wants some extra photoprotection, Farris explained.
But a study from France found an increased incidence of melanoma in women who took an antioxidant supplement. "These results were totally unexpected, and the increased risk of skin cancer disappeared after the antioxidant supplement was discontinued in a five-year followup study," Farris said. "So it appears that we still have a lot more to learn about the risks and benefits of antioxidant supplements."
Katta added, "whole foods contain multiple phytonutrients in one package ... and you can also be sure you're not getting too much. It's the easiest way to get the right dose of them."
Edible sunscreens: a shopping list
For younger-looking skin, your diet should include plenty of antioxidant-rich foods to help decrease sunburn and neutralize free radicals that lead to skin aging and the potential for skin cancer. "Antioxidants in our skin are constantly being used up throughout the day, so it's really important that you constantly replenish that supply of antioxidants through your diet," Katta said.
In addition to providing antioxidant protection, fruits and vegetables boast fiber, which feed bacteria in your gut, making your skin's barrier less prone to irritation and less likely to lose moisture, Katta explained.
Tomatoes
Sweet potatoes and spinach
Berries, grapes and pomegranate
Oranges, grapefruit and kiwi
Brccoli
Fatty fish
Flaxseeds and walnuts
Sipping your sunscreen
In addition to small diet changes, what you choose to sip may shield your skin from the sun.
Drinking coffee may help lower the risk of malignant melanoma. In one study, four cups of coffee was associated with a 20% decreased risk of the disease.
And green tea contains beneficial polyphenols called catechins, which may help protect skin from sun damage and skin cancer, according to preliminary research. The studies on green tea are "very
promising," according to Katta.

Less expensive, easier to prepare ultra-processed foods can make you fat, a new study says.

People limited to a diet of primarily highly processed foods ate more calories and gained more weight than when their diet mostly consisted of minimally processed foods, the study published Thursday in Cell Metabolism finds.
This small-scale study is the first randomized controlled trial -- considered the gold standard in science -- examining the effects of ultra-processed foods. They are defined as containing industrial ingredients, such as hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup, flavoring agents and emulsifiers.
During a one-month study, 20 healthy adult volunteers stayed at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, where all their meals were provided to them. For 14 days in turn, they were limited to each diet and told they could eat as much or as little as they liked.
The two versions of meals had the same amounts of calories, sugars, fiber, fat and carbohydrates. For example, the unprocessed breakfast might be oatmeal with bananas, walnuts and skim milk, while the other consisted of a bagel with cream cheese and turkey bacon.
On the ultra-processed diet, people ate faster while consuming about 500 calories more per day (by taking extra helpings) than they did while on the unprocessed diet; this increase in calories was due to higher quantities of carbohydrates and fat but not protein. As a result, they gained weight -- on average, about 0.9 kilograms or 2 pounds. While on the diet of unprocessed foods, they lost an equal amount of weight.
The gender of the participants, the order of their diet assignment and their body mass index did not influence the varying calories each participant ate on each diet, according to the study authors.
The ultra-processed foods caused people to eat too many calories and gain weight, they concluded.
Engineered and heavily processed foods can be difficult to restrict due to reasons beyond just taste, the researchers noted. For example, the weekly cost of a 2,000-calorie per day diet of processed meals was estimated to be $106, versus $151 for the more natural meals.
It also takes more time to prepare less-processed foods, they said.
Ultra-processed foods are mostly consumed as ready-to-eat meals, as well as snacks and desserts. People have been eating more of them over the past several decades. In the United States, 61% of adults' total diet comes from ultra-processed foods; in Canada, it is 62%; and in the UK, it is 63%, a recent unrelated study found.
"We are living in a fast world, and people are looking for convenient solutions," said Nurgul Fitzgerald, an associate professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at Rutgers University about a past study of processed foods.
Fitzgerald recommends reviewing the back of a package of ready-made food. "Look at the ingredients list. Do you understand all those ingredients that go into your foods?" she asked. Buy only those products "with the least number of ingredients and with ingredients you understand."
The study authors suggest that consumer confusion is another aspect of this problem.
"The perpetual diet wars between factions promoting low-carbohydrate, keto, paleo, high-protein, low-fat, plant-based, vegan, and a seemingly endless list of other diets have led to substantial public confusion and mistrust in nutrition science," they wrote. "Limiting consumption of ultra-processed foods may be an effective strategy for obesity prevention and treatment."

There's no effective treatment for dementia, which affects 50 million people worldwide, but the World Health Organization says there's much can be done to delay or slow the onset and progression of the disease.
In guidelines released Tuesday, WHO issued its first recommendations to reduce the risk of dementia globally. They include regular physical exercise, not using tobacco, drinking less alcohol, maintaining healthy blood pressure and eating a healthy diet -- particularly a Mediterranean one.
The international health body also warned against taking dietary supplements such as vitamins B and E in an effort to combat cognitive decline and dementia.
"While some people are unlucky and inherit a combination of genes that makes it highly likely they will develop dementia, many people have the opportunity to substantially reduce their risk by living a healthy lifestyle," professor Tara Spires-Jones, UK Dementia Research Institute program lead and deputy director of the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, told the Science Media Center.
"The WHO has looked at the available evidence and made recommendations that some lifestyle changes, in particular increasing exercise before any cognitive symptoms are present, can reduce dementia risk," she added.
"Other recommendations have a less strong evidence base but may have evidence that they do not increase risk or harm and can therefore be recommended safely, although their impact on risk is less certain."
WHO said there are 10 million new cases of dementia every year, and this figure is set to triple by 2050. The disease is a major cause of disability and dependency among older people and "can devastate the lives of affected individuals, their carers and families," the organization said.
The disease also exacts a heavy economic toll, with the cost of caring for people with dementia estimated to rise to $2 trillion annually by 2030, according to WHO.
What will and won't help
The 78-page report outlined what WHO believes will -- and won't -- help reduce the risk of dementia, which has been described by campaigners as the biggest health challenge of our generation.
It recommended physical activity, stopping smoking, consuming less alcohol and a healthy, balanced diet. In particular, it says that committing to a Mediterranean diet (simple plant-based cooking, little meat and a heavy emphasis on olive oil) could help.
"The Mediterranean diet is the most extensively studied dietary approach, in general as well as in relation to cognitive function," the report said. "Several systematic reviews of observational studies have concluded that high adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with decreased risk of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's Disease, but modest adherence is not."
The report recommended proper management of weight, hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia -- unhealthy or unbalanced cholesterol levels -- as measures that could potentially reduce the risk of dementia and cognitive decline.
Although the report stressed that social participation and social support are strongly connected to good health and individual well-being, it said there was insufficient evidence linking social activity with a reduced of risk of dementia.
Similarly, it said cognitive training could be offered to older adults but the evidence linking it to a lower risk of dementia was "very low to low."
The report also warned against using supplements such as B vitamins, antioxidants, omega-3 and ginkgo.
"The negative recommendation, advocating that people do not use vitamin or dietary supplements (unless they are needed for a clinical problem) is welcome, and it is to be hoped that it saves lots of people from wasting their money," said professor Tom Dening, director of the Centre for Old Age and Dementia, Institute of Mental Health at the University of Nottingham.
Experts said that the advice issued by WHO was comprehensive and sensible, but some cautioned that the evidence that these steps would reduce dementia risk was not always strong.
"Keep on doing the things that we know benefit overall physical and mental health, but understand that the evidence that these steps will reduce dementia risk is not strong," Robert Howard, a professor of old age psychiatry at University College London, told the Science Media Center.
"Like many colleagues, I already tell my patients that what is good for their hearts is probably good for their brains."

Commercial farming of those vegetables, at least in some parts of the world, often involves migratory beekeeping. In places such as California, there are not enough local bees or other pollinating insects to pollinate the massive almond orchards. Bee hives are transported on the back of large trucks between farms -- they might go from almond orchards in one part of the US then on to avocado orchards in another, and later to sunflower fields in time for summer.
Vegans avoid animal products. For strict vegans this means avoiding honey because of the exploitation of bees. That seems to imply that vegans should also avoid vegetables like avocados that involve exploiting bees in their production.
Is that right? Should vegans forego their avocado on toast?
Defending avocados
The revelation that avocados might not be "vegan-friendly" could seem to be a reductio ad absurdum of the ethical vegan argument. Some people might point to this and claim that those who are vegan but still consume avocados (or almonds and the like) are hypocrites. Alternatively, this sort of news might lead some people to throw up their hands at the impossibility of living a truly vegan diet, and so to give up. Pass me the foie gras someone ...
However, one initial defence for vegans is that this is only a problem for certain vegetables that are produced commercially on a large scale and which are dependent on migratory beekeeping. In places such as the UK, this practice is still (as far as I can tell) uncommon. Locally sourced butternut squash would probably be fine (although you could never guarantee a bee kept in a hive hadn't pollinated a crop), while avocados and almonds (including most almond milk) sourced from California might be a problem.
Another answer might depend on someone's view about the moral status of insects. Commercial beekeeping may injure or kill bees. Transporting bees to pollinate crops appears to negatively affect their health and lifespan. But some may question whether bees are capable of suffering in the same way as animals, while others may wonder whether bees are self-aware -- whether they have a desire to continue to live. If they do not, some philosophers argue that they would not be harmed by being killed (others, such as Gary Francione, would beg to differ).
Depends on your ethical rationale
The more important general response is that whether or not migratory beekeeping is a problem depends on your ethical rationale for being vegan.
Some vegans have a non-consequentialist justification for being vegan -- they wish to avoid acting immorally through their diet. This could be based on something like the Kantian rule of avoiding using another sentient being as a means to an end. Or they may have a rights-based view, according to which animals (including bees) are rights holders. Any amount of rights violation is wrong under this view -- it is simply not ethically permissible to use bees as slaves.
Other vegans choose not to eat meat or other animal products for consequentialist reasons -- they wish to minimise animal suffering and killing. This ethical argument might also have trouble with migratory beekeeping. While the amount of suffering experienced by an individual bee is probably small, this would be magnified by the very large number of insects potentially affected (31 billion honeybees in the Californian almond orchards alone). A vegan who chooses to eat almonds or avocados is not doing what would most reduce animal suffering.
However, a different, (perhaps more practical) ethical rationale that might underlie a decision to go vegan is the wish to reduce the animal suffering and killing and environmental impact involved in food production. Migratory beekeeping also has negative environmental effects, for example, through the spread of disease and effect on native honeybee populations.
Taking this view, dietary choices that reduce animal exploitation are still valuable even if some animal exploitation would still occur. After all, there is a need to draw a line somewhere. When we make choices about our diet, we a need to balance the effort we expend against the impact on our daily life. The same applies when we make choices about how much we should donate to charity, or how much effort we should make to reduce water consumption, energy use, or CO₂ emissions.
One ethical theory for how resources should be distributed is sometimes called "sufficientarianism". Briefly, it is the idea that resources should be shared out in a way that is not perfectly equal, and may not maximise happiness, but at least ensures that everyone has a basic minimum -- has enough. In another area of ethics, there is sometimes discussion of the idea that the aim of parenting is not to be the perfect parent (we all fail at that), but to be a "good enough" parent.
Taking a similar "sufficientarian" approach to the ethics of avoiding animal products, the aim is not to be absolutely vegan, or maximally vegan, but to be sufficiently vegan -- to make as much effort as feasible to reduce harm to animals for the sake of our diet -- we could call this a "vegantarian" diet. For some people this may mean choosing to avoid Californian avocados, but others may find their personal ethical balance at a different point. What is more, accepting and embracing all these variations may provide room for more people to adopt or sustain a vegan lifestyle.
Pass me the avo on toast, someone.

Why some health enthusiasts are drinking ginger

May 8, 2019, 12:01 pm By: Darryl Louis, medauction.com

You may use it to add spice to a meal or steeped in a hot tea, but ginger has become a growing area of interest when it comes to health benefits.

You may use it to add spice to a meal or steeped in a hot tea, but ginger has become a growing area of interest when it comes to health benefits.

Research has shown that ginger can help calm symptoms of an upset stomach, including nausea and vomiting, and even play a role in relieving pain.
Yet "there is plenty of research that points to the health benefits of ginger as well; studies have shown that it's an anti-inflammatory food and acts as an antioxidant in the body," she said.
One study, published in the journal Pain Medicine in 2015, reviewed seven randomized controlled trials to find evidence suggesting that consuming ginger powder in the first few days of a menstrual cycle might help relieve period pain.
A small study published in The Journal of Pain in 2010 found that consuming either raw or heated ginger was associated with an up to 25% reduction in soreness after exercise, compared with a placebo.
"I think ginger is fascinating," said Dr. Eddie Fatakhov, a physician and nutritionist at the Center for Internal and Integrative Medicine in Alpharetta, Georgia. "It helps soothe the throat. It may help decrease nausea. So if you're not feeling good or you have diarrhea, ginger can actually help with that."
He added that ginger is similar to the Capsicum family, or chili peppers, in terms of how it can help ease pain. Capsaicin cream, derived from chili peppers, is sometimes used for pain.
Ginger has also been studied as an appetite suppressant, suggesting that it could play a role in weight management.
When it comes to the best way to consume ginger, Fatakhov recommends going for fresh.
"The fresh ginger compound is called gingerol. That's the main ingredient that causes all of those powerful anti-inflammatory properties," Fatakhov said.
"Then, when I take it and I cook with it, now it switches to zingerone. Zingerone is not as powerful," he said. "So if the question is, is it worth eating ginger fresh or cooked? You're going to lose a lot of the properties if you're cooking it. So I would say fresh is best. The second best would be if it's powdered or ground as a spice."
How can you incorporate ginger into your diet? Try drinking it.
Fatakhov recommended trying a certain cozy drink. Golden milk or haldi doodh -- sometimes called turmeric tea or turmeric latte -- has recently been called "the trendiest hot drink," but it has actually been around for centuries. The traditional Indian drink has origins in Ayurveda, an ancient approach to medicine and wellness.
Some ginger fanatics might also enjoy drinking sliced fresh ginger in their water or tea.
"You place the ginger in hot water and let it steep, like you would with a tea bag. Drinking ginger steeped in hot or cold water will give you some of the same health benefits as when you add it as a spice to your food or blended into a smoothie," LeVeque said.
"Another way to incorporate it into your diet is to add into soups," she said. "It pairs really well with a pureed veggie soup, like carrot soup. It also offers a nice twist if you add a slice of the root to your traditional warm lemon water in the morning."

Climate anxiety is real, but there is something you can do about it.

May 7, 2019, 10:54 am By: Darryl Louis, medauction.com

A student in Wendy Petersen Boring's climate-change-focused class said she woke at 2 a.m. and then cried for two solid hours about the warming ocean.

A student in Wendy Petersen Boring's climate-change-focused class said she woke at 2 a.m. and then cried for two solid hours about the warming ocean.

Petersen Boring, an associate professor of history, religious studies, women & gender studies at Willamette University in Oregon, has been teaching about climate change for a little over a decade. In that short time, she has watched her students' fear, grief, stress and anxiety grow.
"Back in 2007, it was the mouse in the room; then, it became the elephant in the room. By 2016, those concerns and fears began to flood over," Petersen Boring said.
Her students aren't alone. Polls show that many more Americans worry about global warming. There's no clinical definition, but climate anxiety and grief or solastalgia -- "the distress that is produced by environmental change impacting on people while they are directly connected to their home
environment" -- has become such a concern that the American Psychological Association created a 69-page climate-change guide to help mental health care providers.
There are support networks like Good Grief in Salt Lake City, created to help people build resilience while discussing "eco-anxiety," despair and inaction on the environment.
There's even a growing number of organizations of people promising not to have children "due to the severity of the ecological crisis and the current inaction of governing forces in the face if this existential threat," as a group called BirthStrike puts it.
Who can blame them? This year's climate change headlines are depressing on a good day, terrifying at worst:
Climate change linked to greenhouse gas emissions has created record high temperatures and more extreme storms, droughts and wildfires. Those climate change-related natural disasters have had a profound negative impact on the mental health of survivors of these extreme events, according to the United Nations. Suicides have increased, as have depression, anxiety, stress, grief, anger and PTSD.
Even for people who aren't directly affected by natural disasters, climate change is causing measurable mental distress.
Higher temperatures alone have led to more suicides and increased psychiatric hospitalization and have hurt our sleep, which can also also harm mental health. These problems will get worse as the temperature continues to rise, research shows.
It's going to take an enormous global effort to keep the planet from that catastrophic point. Yet the Trump administration has buried government reports on climate change. Trump pushes for "American energy dominance," developing initiatives that reward greenhouse gas-producing industries. This lack of political will is compounding some people's anxiety, experts say.
"With the Trump election, the change in my students, the sense of grief and fear and paralysis in the room, became palpable," Petersen Boring said.
Paralysis caused by fear is a real problem, said Susan Clayton, one of the lead authors of the American Psychological Association guide.
"The psychological responses to climate change such as conflict avoidance, fatalism, fear, helplessness and resignation are growing," said Clayton, a psychology professor at the College of Wooster. "These responses are keeping us, and our nation, from properly addressing the core causes of and solutions for our changing climate and from building and supporting psychological resiliency."
It makes sense and there is a "straightforward therapeutic response to this," Clayton said.
Penn State psychology Professor Janet Swim, who has authored several publications about psychology and climate change, puts it this way: "Anxiety is something people feel more and more when they get closer to an anti-goal, meaning a negative result, like the destruction of the planet."
People who are anxious tend to be avoidant, or they shut down and don't engage. To ease this feeling of anxiety, turn it around. "Instead of focusing on the fear, you should instead focus on what you want to do," Swim said.
"If you get closer and closer to a solution, you can feel more pride and there is hope."

Sunscreen enters bloodstream after just one day of use.

May 6, 2019, 2:37 pm By: Darryl Louis, medauction.com

It took just one day of use for several common sunscreen ingredients to enter the bloodstream at levels high enough to trigger a government safety investigation.

It took just one day of use for several common sunscreen ingredients to enter the bloodstream at levels high enough to trigger a government safety investigation.

The study, published Monday in the medical journal JAMA, also found that the blood concentration of three of the ingredients continued to rise as daily use continued and then remained in the body for at least 24 hours after sunscreen use ended.
The four chemicals studied -- avobenzone, oxybenzone, ecamsule and octocrylene -- are part of a dozen that the FDA recently said needed to be researched by manufacturers before they could be considered "generally regarded as safe and effective."
So, should you stop using sunscreen? Absolutely not, experts say.
"Studies need to be performed to evaluate this finding and determine whether there are true medical implications to absorption of certain ingredients," said Yale School of Medicine dermatologist Dr. David Leffell, a spokesman for the American Academy of Dermatology. He added that in the meantime, people should "continue to be aggressive about sun protection."
"The sun is the real enemy here," said Scott Faber, senior vice president for government affairs at the Environmental Working Group, or EWG, an advocacy group that publishes a yearly guide on sunscreens.
"It's not news that things that you put on your skin are absorbed into the body," Faber said. "This study is the FDA's way of showing sunscreen manufacturers they need to do the studies to see if chemical absorption poses health risks."
The need to screen
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, more Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer each year than all other cancers combined. Around the world, melanoma ranks as the 19th most common cancer in both men and women, the World Cancer Research Fund says.
In the United States, sunscreens were originally approved as an over-the-counter solution to sunburn. They came in two types: one using chemical combos to filter the sun, the other using minerals to block the sun such as titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, which leave a telltale white coating. With many people not wanting to sport a white tint, the popularity of the chemical sunscreens soared.
Because of the way they were used at the time, there wasn't a lot of concern about a potential health impact. But that soon changed, and the FDA began to ask the industry for safety testing, said David Andrews, senior scientist at the EWG.
"They were originally used in small quantities to prevent sunburn on vacation," Andrews said. "Now they recommend applying these every day, applying them to large parts of your body. And the FDA began raising concerns."
A small study of sunscreen chemicals
The new FDA study enrolled 24 healthy volunteers who were randomly assigned to a spray or lotion sunscreen that contained avobenzone, oxybenzone or octocrylene as ingredients or a crème sunscreen that contained the chemical ecamsule.
The volunteers were asked to put their assigned sunscreen on 75% of their bodies four times each day for four days. Thirty blood samples were taken from each volunteer over seven days.
Of the six people using the ecamsule cream, five had levels of the chemical in their blood considered statistically significant by the end of day one. For the other three chemicals, especially oxybenzone, all of the volunteers showed significant levels after the first day.
"Looking through the results tables of the study, one thing about oxybenzone stood out," Andrews said. "Oxybenzone was absorbed into the body at about 50 to 100 times higher concentration than any of these other three chemicals they tested."
Protect yourself from the sun
In an editorial accompanying the new study, former FDA Chairman Dr. Robert Califf assured readers that just because the research found chemical levels "well above the FDA guideline does not mean these ingredients are unsafe."
The Personal Care Products Council, the national trade council for sunscreen, cosmetic and personal care products, agreed in a statement.
"The presence of sunscreens in plasma after maximal use does not necessarily lead to safety issues," said Alex Kowcz, chief scientist for the council.
"It's important for consumers to know that for the purpose of this study, sunscreens were applied to 75% of the body, four times per day for four days -- which is twice the amount that would be applied in what the scientific community considers real-world conditions," Kowcz said. The council was concerned, she said, that the FDA's study might confuse consumers and discourage the use of sunscreen.
When going outside, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends applying at least 1 ounce of sunscreen to all exposed skin every two hours or after swimming, including "back, neck, face, ears, tops of your feet and legs. If you have thinning hair, either apply sunscreen to your scalp or wear a wide-brimmed hat. To protect your lips, apply a lip balm with a SPF of at least 15," the academy says, adding that since UV rays are always present, sunscreen should be applied to exposed skin even on cloudy days and in the winter.

Brush up on your skills
How you brush makes a big difference. The mechanical act of brushing removes the very sticky dental plaque -- a mixture of bacteria, their acids and sticky byproducts and food remnants. It forms naturally on teeth immediately after you've eaten but doesn't get nasty and start to cause damage to the teeth until it reaches a certain stage of maturity. The exact amount of time this takes isn't known but is at least more than 12 hours.
Bacteria consume sugar and, as a byproduct, produce acids which dissolve mineral out of the teeth, leaving microscopic holes we can't see. If the process isn't stopped and they aren't repaired, these can become big, visible cavities.
Taking two minutes to brush your teeth is a good target for removing plaque and you should brush at night and one other time daily. Brushing frequently stops the bacteria developing to a stage where the species which produce the most acid can become established.
What teeth can reveal about the secret lives of our ancestors
Electric toothbrushes can be more effective than manual brushing and a small toothbrush head helps to reach awkward areas in the mouth, while medium-textured bristles help you clean effectively without causing harm to gums and teeth. The main thing, however, is to get brushing!
Use fluoride toothpaste and disclosing tablets
Most of the benefit from brushing comes from toothpaste. The key ingredient is fluoride, which evidence shows prevents tooth decay. Fluoride replaces lost minerals in teeth and also makes them stronger.
Why some kids are more prone to tooth decay
Plaque is difficult to see because it is whitish, like your teeth. Disclosing tablets are available in supermarkets and chemists and they make plaque more visible, showing areas you may have missed when brushing.
Spit, don't rinse
At night, you produce less saliva than during the day. Because of this, your teeth have less protection from saliva and are more vulnerable to acid attacks. That's why it's important to remove food from your teeth before bed so plaque bacteria can't feast overnight. Don't eat or drink anything except water after brushing at night. This also gives fluoride the longest opportunity to work.
Once you've brushed, don't rinse your mouth with water or mouthwash -- you're washing away the fluoride! This can be a difficult habit to break, but can reduce tooth decay by up to 25%.
No more than four 'sugar hits'
Intrinsic sugars are found naturally in foods like fruit and they are far less likely to cause tooth decay than added or free sugars. Free sugars are generally those added to foods by manufacturers but also include honey, syrup and fruit juices.
These are all easy for bacteria to consume, metabolise and produce acids from. However, it can be difficult to tell which are the worst sugars for teeth.
Taking a selfie while brushing your teeth could be good for you
A 330ml can of Coke has 35g of sugar. The change4life app is helpful to track how much sugar you consume in your diet.
Although not as important as how much, how often you eat sugar also matters. Simple carbohydrates like sugar are easier for bacteria to digest than proteins or complex carbohydrates. Bacteria produce acids after they metabolise sugar which causes demineralisation.
Fortunately, through the actions of fluoride toothpaste and the remineralising effects of saliva, your teeth can recover from the early stages of these attacks. It's like having a set of scales -- trying to keep the balance between sugars on one side, fluoride toothpaste and cleaning on the other.
Typically, your teeth can be exposed to four "sugar hits" -- episodes of sugar intake -- daily without irreversible damage to the teeth. Why not try counting how many sugary hits you have a day? This includes biscuits, cups of sugary tea or coffee and other snacks with refined carbohydrates like crisps. A simple way of cutting down would be to stop putting sugar in hot drinks and limiting snacking.
Brush twice daily with fluoride toothpaste, spit don't rinse, eat and drink nothing after brushing, and don't have sugar more than four times daily. Easy!

This Hot New Treatment Is Like Injecting a Hyaluronic Acid Serum Into Your Face

April 30, 2019, 11:06 am By: Darryl Louis, medauction.com

Volite is the hot new injectable on the street that promises serious hydration and skin glow.

This Hot New Treatment Is Like Injecting a Hyaluronic Acid Serum Into Your Face

April 30, 2019, 11:06 am By: Darryl Louis, medauction.com

Volite is the hot new injectable on the street that promises serious hydration and skin glow.

Created by Juvéderm (the makers of Botox), it promises to deliver deep-down hydration for plumper skin with results that last up to nine months.
Now, I’m no stranger to a needle. I’ve had Botox on numerous occasions and even dabbled once with lip fillers, so I was excited to give Volite a try. As someone with spot-prone skin who’s now starting to notice the first signs of lines, I am pretty devoted to a topical daily dose of hyaluronic acid in serum form and Volite’s is chock-full of this coveted ingredient.
Hyaluronic acid is a water-binding molecule found naturally in our skin, but like most things, it depletes with age. Since I’m still dealing with hormonal spots at the ripe age of 33, I reach for AHAs and BHAs frequently to increase skin-cell turnover, and it’s that daily dose of HA that helps to keep my skin calm and hydrated. Rather than slathering the ingredient on topically, Volite involves a series of injections that delivers the HA deep down into the dermis and increases hydration for skin that looks smoother and more supple for up to nine months.
I booked in with Alexis Granite at Mallucci London for the treatment. We went through my medical history, and then I got myself comfy on her treatment bed. Now, for anyone needle-phobic, Volite may not be for you.
I started by holding an ice pack on the right side of my face while Granite prepped the needles. Once my face was suitably numb, she set to work. I had around 20 injections on both sides (that’s 40 total). For anyone who has had Botox, the feeling is not too dissimilar, as it’s like a short, sharp pinch that’s felt over and over. In some more sensitive areas (like the chin, lip, near the nose and around the delicate eye area), it’s a little more intense, whereas, on the cheeks, you can barely feel a thing.
Volite contains low- and high-molecular weight HA, which means it can travel to different depths in the skin. It also contains enough anaesthetic to help numb from within, so you don’t feel any discomfort post-treatment. The only slight pain comes from the needle pricks. I felt surprisingly good at the halfway mark until Granite started on the left side of my face.
This side was a little more painful (apparently, it always is—see if you notice it next time you have your eyebrows threaded). That extra slight pain combined with the realisation that I had sat through 20 injections with another 20 to go, left me feeling a little light-headed. Granite was a total pro—she laid me down, got me some water and within minutes, I felt well enough to continue.
Afterwards, you can go about your day as normal. I didn’t put any makeup on, but Granite said I could apply loose mineral foundation if I wanted to. Luckily, my skin wasn’t as red as I had feared. I headed out for dinner with friends, and, had I not told them, they would never have suspected what I’d been up to.
The results take between 10 to 14 days to appear. In all honesty, it’s not a stark difference, but I’ve had quite a few people say I look well and that my skin looks glowy in the last couple of weeks (even though I’ve actually not been sleeping enough, drinking too much and eating junk food).
It’s been about a month since I had the treatment, and I would say the fine lines around my eyes are less apparent and my skin feels smoother and plumper to the touch. Makeup goes on like a dream and I don’t feel like my skin is so thirsty for that daily topical HA dose (although I still apply it).
Would I have Volite again? Yes. I would say if your main concerns are dry, dehydrated skin and fine lines, then this treatment would be absolutely ideal for you. It can also be injected into your neck, décolletage and hands.

Bosting male fertility with diet and weight loss.

April 29, 2019, 9:32 am By: Darryl Louis, medauction.com

When a couple is having trouble getting pregnant, the focus often turns to a woman's health. But just as men are equal partners in conception, they can be contributors to fertility problems, too.

When a couple is having trouble getting pregnant, the focus often turns to a woman's health. But just as men are equal partners in conception, they can be contributors to fertility problems, too.

"It's important to appreciate that when you have a couple challenged with infertility, in about 40% to 50% of the time, we are able to attribute the male as the primary or contributory cause," said Dr. Natan Bar-Chama, director of the Center of Male Reproductive Health at RMA of New York and a board-certiﬁed urologist and male infertility specialist.
"People assume if a couple is having a hard time getting pregnant, it's the woman's responsibility to make the changes and it's her body that's not working right, but we're learning more and more that that's not the case," added Lauren Manaker, a registered dietitian and author of "Fueling Male Fertility," a guide that provides men with simple ways they can support a couple's goal of becoming pregnant, whether they are trying naturally or undergoing assisted reproduction.
Problems that can affect male fertility include low sperm count, sperm abnormalities and low testosterone levels. Additionally, evidence suggests that recurrent miscarriage may not be related only to female factors, yet the focus continues to be on the female partner when couples experience pregnancy loss, Manaker explained.
The promising news is, various lifestyle factors have been shown to support male fertility and improve chances of conception. But this requires men to be proactive about their role in conceiving a baby.
"Men don't access health care with the same seriousness as women do," Bar-Chama said, from his experience. "Women regularly visit their ob/gyn from early on in their reproductive life cycle ... but men are often neither proactive or preventative in their approach to medical care."
What's more, Manaker added, "men don't want to talk about apples and their sperm."
According to Bar-Chama, an initial fertility evaluation, which encompasses assessing lifestyle risk factors, along with an initial semen analysis is a simple first step to determine whether a problem exists.
Lifestyle and male fertility
Lifestyle factors affecting male fertility include diet, body weight, levels of exercise, stress and use of tobacco and drugs.
"There is a growing body of solid scientific data that correlates obesity, poor nutritional status, lack of exercise, smoking and marijuana usage ... with decreased semen parameters such as sperm concentration, motility and morphology," Bar-Chama said.
Lifestyle factors may affect sperm parameters, pregnancy and miscarriage rates, but Bar-Chama says that one of the most concerning issues is alterations in sperm that can be transferred to offspring and affect their development and long-term health.
"Sperm DNA from obese or marijuana-exposed animal models and men demonstrate alterations that are transferred to the progeny and can result in increased risk for cancer, effects on behavior, birth defects and overall long-term health repercussions," he said.
"Men need to appreciate that their lifestyle behaviors may not only affect their ability to initiate a healthy pregnancy but, just as importantly, affect the future well-being of their child -- something that has clear lifelong repercussions and that should be seriously considered prior to initialing fatherhood," he added.
Getting started with lifestyle changes: Tackling obesity
Obese men are more likely to experience infertility. Their obesity also appears to put them at increased risk of a nonviable pregnancy.
Male obesity hurts fertility in a variety of ways. Increased fat in the scrotum can raise testicular temperature, which negatively affects sperm parameters and fertility, explained Paula C. Brady, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center and reproductive endocrinologist at the Columbia University Fertility Center. Obesity can also cause several changes to sex hormones and their binding proteins that hurt sperm production.
Obesity is also associated with genetic changes in sperm that affect fertilization, embryo development and pregnancy outcomes, according to Brady. "One of these genetic changes -- sperm DNA fragmentation -- is associated with pregnancy loss."
Losing weight if a man is overweight is a good start. "You clearly see an improvement in semen parameters when men lose weight, and the more weight lost, the greater the improvement," Bar-Chama said.
Men should start to implement lifestyle changes at least three months before conception, which is the approximate length of time of the sperm life cycle.
Consume more antioxidants. Antioxidants combat oxidative stress, which can occur from a poor diet, obesity and smoking as well as pollution, radiation and other toxins and which is a mechanism by which damage to sperm occurs, Bar-Chama explained.
"When you cause damage to cell membranes, you are impacting the ability of the sperm to attach, penetrate and activate the complex fertilization process," he said.
To optimize fertility, stop any tobacco and drug use. Smoking has consistently been shown to negatively affect sperm parameters and pregnancy rates, while marijuana intake may be associated with lower sperm counts, according to Brady.
Yes, staying away from tight underwear or pants is advised, as it may elevate scrotal temperature. Manaker notes one well-designed study conducted in 2018 to get to the "bottom" of the controversy. In total, 656 men were evaluated for type of underwear worn and any correlation with sperm parameters. The results indicate that the men who wore boxer shorts had 25% higher sperm concentration and 17% higher total sperm count than men who did not wear boxer shorts.
And careful with cell phones: Manaker points out a meta analysis that found that mobile phone exposure negatively affects sperm quality. In one study, the amount of time spent talking on a cell phone correlated with reduced sperm concentrations and sperm count. Another study demonstrated a negative relationship between wireless internet use on a cell phone and sperm count.
And it may seem counterintuitive, but taking testosterone is usually harmful to male fertility by reducing intratesticular testosterone levels and sperm production, Brady explained.
It takes two to tango
Though a man changing his lifestyle may not guarantee conception, it could be the missing link that a couple needs.
"When equal efforts are made about enhancing fertility, couples appear to have an easier time getting pregnant," Manaker said. "It also sets the tone for the pregnancy -- that you are a team. You are equal partners. It starts the whole process on a nice foot."

Foodborne disease infections are on the rise.

April 25, 2019, 11:46 am By: Darryl Louis, medauction.com

Every so often, the food in your fridge winds up in the news when there's an outbreak of illness linked to what we eat.

Every so often, the food in your fridge winds up in the news when there's an outbreak of illness linked to what we eat.

Researchers identified campylobacter, a bacteria most often found in chicken, raw milk and water, as the No. 1 cause of bacterial foodborne illness since 2013. In 2018, it was followed by salmonella, shiga toxin-producing E. coli, shigella and vibrio in the number of cases per 100,000 people.
The report included laboratory-diagnosed infections caused by eight pathogens at 10 US sites covering 15% of the population. In 2018, 25,606 illnesses, 5,893 hospitalizations and 120 deaths were identified.
The incidence of most infections is increasing, the report noted, but the research has some limitations. Testing changes might identify more cases, making trends hard to interpret, and large outbreaks might not indicate a sustained trend.
Campylobacter causes more than a million illnesses throughout the United States every year. This bacteria is transferable to humans from animals that show no signs of infection
"It is the most commonly isolated bacteria cause of foodborne illness in the United States, and it's been that way for a long time," Griffin said. "It doesn't get a lot of respect and is not that well-known because it tends to not be found in a lot of multistate outbreaks."
Salmonella is found in animal products such as pork, chicken and eggs, in addition of vegetables and fruits.
"Salmonella causes more hospitalizations and deaths than campylobacter.
Vibrio bacteria in raw oysters has emerged as a leading cause of illness in the United States and is associated with rising water temperatures, Donnelly said. Vibrio tends to be found in warmer coastal waters between May and October.
Cyclospora
People can develop the illness when they consume food or water contaminated with infected feces. Because cyclospora is more commonly found in tropical and subtropical parts of the world, outbreaks within the United States are mostly associated with produce imported from other countries.
Avoiding foodborne illnesses
Improved agricultural practices are needed to stop produce-related outbreaks, and the US Food and Drug Administration is implementing routine inspections of large produce farms and providing assistance to the produce industry to help outbreak investigations and prevent contamination.
Consumers can have a hand in this process, as well
"Consumers may not realize how powerful they are," Griffin said. "A lot of the major legislation for food safety has happened because consumers really demanded it. It's important for consumers to be informed about sources of foodborne illnesses so they can be part of advocating for safer foods."
At home, proper hand washing, thoroughly cooking food, cleaning cooking spaces and avoiding contaminated water and produce reduce your chance of encountering bacteria or parasites. If you think you have a foodborne illness, talk to a health care provider.

US Measles outbreak is largest since disease was declared eliminated in 2000.

April 24, 2019, 11:34 am By: Darryl Louis, medauction.com

Overall, there have been 681 measles cases across 22 states this year, according to CNN's analysis of data from state and local health departments.

US Measles outbreak is largest since disease was declared eliminated in 2000.

April 24, 2019, 11:34 am By: Darryl Louis, medauction.com

Overall, there have been 681 measles cases across 22 states this year, according to CNN's analysis of data from state and local health departments.

The states reporting measles cases are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Washington.
As of Monday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 626 individual cases of measles confirmed in those 22 states. This includes illnesses reported by state health departments to the CDC through April 19 and therefore does not include cases reported since then.
The agency updates the number of measles cases each Monday.
Previously, the highest number of reported cases since elimination was 667 in 2014.
'Most of the cases that we're seeing are in not vaccinated communities'
Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus that can spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes or if someone comes into direct contact or shares germs by touching the same objects or surfaces. Measles symptoms may include fever, cough, runny nose, watery eyes and a rash of red spots.
Most cases in the United States have emerged in communities with low rates of vaccination against the virus, according to public health officials.
"I do believe that parents' concerns about vaccines leads to undervaccination, and most of the cases that we're seeing are in unvaccinated communities," Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC, said in February at a congressional hearing about measles outbreaks.
Nationally, the United States has high measles vaccination coverage. The CDC says 91.5% of US children aged 19 months to 35 months received at least one dose of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine in 2017, the most recent year available.
"However, there are pockets of people who are vaccine-hesitant," Messonnier said.
"Outbreaks of measles occur when measles gets into these communities of unvaccinated people," she said. "The only way to protect against measles is to get vaccinated."
source familiar with the measles situation in the United States previously told CNN that of the 626 cases of measles that federal officials counted as of last week, 72% are unvaccinated, and 18% have an unknown vaccination status. Among those who are unvaccinated, it may be because of personal beliefs and medical reasons. The other 10% were vaccinated with either one or two doses.
Of those 626 cases, 487 were in people 19 and younger.
Measles outbreaks -- defined as three or more cases -- have been ongoing this year in Rockland County, New York; New York City; Washington state; Santa Cruz County, California; New Jersey; Butte County, California; and Michigan.
The CDC has noted that those outbreaks are linked to travelers who were infected and brought measles back from other countries, including Israel, Ukraine and the Philippines.
For instance, the outbreak in New York, which was declared a public health emergency last month, began when an unvaccinated child became infected while visiting Israel, according to health officials.
A person from New York who was unknowingly contagious with the measles then visited Southeast Michigan, spreading the illness to at least 38 people there, according to Lynn Sutfin, public information officer for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Researchers 3D-print heart from human patient's cells.

April 23, 2019, 10:18 am By: Darryl Louis, medauction.com

Researchers have 3D-printed a heart using a patient's cells, providing hope that the technique could be used to heal hearts or engineer new ones for transplants.

Researchers have 3D-printed a heart using a patient's cells, providing hope that the technique could be used to heal hearts or engineer new ones for transplants.

"This is the first time anyone anywhere has successfully engineered and printed an entire heart replete with cells, blood vessels, ventricles and chambers," Professor Tal Dvir of Tel Aviv University's School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology said in a statement. Dvir is senior author of the research, published Monday in the journal Advanced Science.
The process of printing the heart involved a biopsy of the fatty tissue that surrounds abdominal organs. Researchers separated the cells in the tissue from the rest of the contents, namely the extracellular matrix linking the cells. The cells were reprogrammed to become stem cells with the ability to differentiate into heart cells; the matrix was processed into a personalized hydrogel that served as the printing "ink."
The cells and hydrogel were first used to create heart patches with blood vessels and, from there, an entire heart.
"At this stage, our 3D heart is small, the size of a rabbit's heart," Dvir said. "But larger human hearts require the same technology."
Previously, scientists had been able to print only simple tissues without blood vessels.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the developing world. Heart transplantation is the only way to treat end-stage heart failure, highlighting the importance of developing techniques such as 3D printing, according to the authors.
Dvir also explained that using the patient's own cells is key to engineering the tissues and organs.
"The bio-compatibility of engineered materials is crucial to eliminating the risk of implant rejection, which jeopardizes the success of such treatments," he said.
Next, the researchers plan to train the hearts to behave like hearts, Dvir explained. "The cells need to form a pumping ability; they can currently contract, but we need them to work together."
If researchers are successful, they plan to transplant the 3D-printed heart in animal models and, after that, humans.
"Maybe, in ten years, there will be organ printers in the finest hospitals around the world, and these procedures will be conducted routinely," Dvir said.

The secret to changing your lactose tolerance may be in your gut.

April 22, 2019, 10:33 am By: Darryl Louis, medauction.com

After childhood, about two-thirds of the world's human population loses the ability to digest milk.

After childhood, about two-thirds of the world's human population loses the ability to digest milk.

As far as we know, 100% of nonhuman mammals also lose this ability after weaning. The ongoing ability to digest lactose, the main sugar in milk, into adulthood is a biological abnormality.
Lactose cannot be directly absorbed in the intestinal tract and must, instead, be broken down into its two smaller component sugars by an enzyme called lactase. Normally, the activity of the gene that produces lactase, LCT, declines after infancy. New evidence suggests that this decline occurs not because the genetic code is changed, but because the DNA is chemically modified so that the lactase gene is switched off. Such modifications that affect gene activity while leaving the DNA sequence intact are called epigenetic. The epigenetic modification that turns off the lactase gene does not happen in lactose-tolerant individuals. This new finding gives an important insight into how lactose intolerance develops with age or after trauma to the intestinal tract.
I'm a microbiologist, and I became interested in the causes of lactose intolerance because it afflicts a close friend. He is of Norwegian descent and, like most Norwegians, is genetically lactose tolerant. But, he became permanently lactose intolerant at the age of 45 after a long regimen of antibiotics.
There are other cases of people who should be able digest lactose because of their genetics, but lose that ability late in life, either spontaneously or when the small intestine is damaged by disease or other traumas. In most cases, the lactose intolerance goes away when the underlying cause is treated, but some people become permanently lactose intolerant.
It seems possible, even probable, that such trauma to the digestive tract can trigger the same epigenetic change that normally turns off the lactase gene in childhood. Scientists have found other cases of such environmentally induced epigenetic changes, although more research is needed to establish the persistence and consequences of these alterations.
Lactose intolerance is mostly due to your genes
While the ability to produce the lactase enzyme persists into adulthood in only about 35% of adults worldwide, this proportion varies widely among ethnic groups. In the U.S., the proportion of lactose-tolerant people is about 64%, reflecting the mixture of ethnic groups that populate the country.
The ability of adults to digest lactose appeared in humans relatively recently. Specific genetic changes -- known as single-nucleotide polymorphisms, SNPs -- conveying lactase-persistence arose independently in various populations around the same time as their domestication of dairy animals. None of these SNPs are in the lactase gene itself, but instead are in a nearby region of the DNA that control its activity. Scientists have been trying to figure out how these changes exert their influence over this gene's behavior.
Recently researchers have shown that one of the SNPs changes the level of epigenetic modification of the DNA in the lactase gene control regions. Specifically, the SNP prevents small chemical units, called methyl groups (which consist of one carbon and three hydrogen atoms) from being attached to the DNA. Methyl groups are especially important in regulating gene activity because when they are added to the DNA, they turn off the gene.
These studies imply that after early childhood, the lactase gene is usually shut off by DNA methylation. The SNPs that alter the DNA sequence in the control region, however, prevent this methylation from happening. This, in turn, results in the production of lactase because the gene is kept on.
Are microbes causing your milk allergy?
To date, five different SNPs have been strongly associated with lactase persistence, and another 10 or so have been found in isolated populations. The estimated times of appearance of these SNPs in different cultures range from 3,000 (Tanzania) to 12,000 (Finland) years ago. That the trait persisted and spread in these populations indicates that the ability to digest milk beyond infancy had a significant selective advantage.
Your microbiome and lactose intolerance
The symptoms of lactose intolerance include diarrhea, stomach pain, cramps, bloating and flatulence, all of which result from failure to break down lactose in the small intestine. As undigested lactose moves into the large intestine, water enters to reduce the lactose concentration, producing diarrhea. The lactose is eventually eaten by microorganisms in the large intestine, producing, as byproducts, various gases that cause bloating, cramping and flatulence.
Living drugs: Engineering bacteria to treat genetic diseases
Recent studies have shown that the symptoms of lactose intolerance can be relieved in some people by changing the population of their intestinal microbes, called the microbiome, to encourage lactose-digesting bacteria. Specifically, bacteria, called "lactic acid bacteria," eat the lactose but produce the byproduct lactic acid instead of gas. While lactic acid has no nutritional value, it does not produce the unpleasant symptoms of lactose intolerance. This adaptation of the intestinal microbiome may be how some ancient pastoral populations with no genetic evidence of lactase persistence tolerated a dairy-rich diet.
Ingesting lactic acid bacteria as a probiotic can alleviate the symptoms of lactose intolerance, but these bacteria may not persist in the colon. A promising new strategy is to "feed" the lactic acid bacteria a complex sugar that they can digest but humans cannot. In initial clinical trials, subjects using this "prebiotic" reported improved lactose tolerance and had a corresponding shift in their intestinal microbiome. Larger clinical trials are in progress.
So there is hope for lactose-intolerant people that real ice cream may be on the menu again.